Former president of Colombia tapped for News Corp. board

WASHINGTON -- Media giant News Corp. said Tuesday that former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and former U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine have been nominated for the board of directors.

They will stand for election at the U.S.-based company's shareholder meeting Oct. 16 in Los Angeles.

The move comes with tycoon Rupert Murdoch's conglomerate under pressure from a phone hacking scandal in Britain and also preparing to split the company into an entertainment division and a separate group focused on publishing.

Murdoch said Uribe was “a transformative figure who saved his country's democratic institutions, revitalized its economy and restored the security of its people” and would “provide important insights into Latin America for our directors.”